BJP state president Babulal Marandi has written a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren urging him to give priority to tribal women and retired army personnel in the new liquor policy which the state government is going to introduce shortly. Babulal through his letter has raised that in giving licenses for Indian and foreign liquor, priority should be given to poor tribal women and retired army personnel.

Marandi said  that he has come to know that the Jharkhand government is planning to implement a new liquor policy in the state through the excise department. Earlier also, liquor policy has been implemented twice by the state government, but unfortunately those policies did not benefit the state. On the contrary, those policies led to exploitation of the public and loss of revenue. Due to selling liquor at rates higher than the prescribed price (MRP), illegal recovery was made from the public and the resulting revenue went into the pockets of liquor mafias and brokers.

There are thousands of poor, Dalit, and tribal women in the social structure of Jharkhand who raise their families by selling Hadiya (country made alcohol) on the roadside. Chef Minister Hemant Soren being tribal also come from the same society, so he is aware of the situation of tribal women. In such a situation, just as the Central Government gives priority to Dalits, tribals, women, disabled and retired soldiers from the army in issuing licenses for petrol pumps and gas agencies, similarly the state government should also give priority to poor tribal women and retired soldiers from the army in issuing licenses for Indian and foreign liquor shops.

Since the determination of liquor policy is a subject of Panchayati Raj Department and Gram Sabha. Therefore, it is requested that the state government should obtain opinion from these departments and formulate such a policy which is in the interest of rural tribal women and helps them to earn a respectable livelihood. Your cooperation will be very important in the development and social upliftment of the state.

However, the state excise minister Baijnath Ram has raised question on Babulal Marandi suggestion and replying that why does Babulal Marandi want women to sell liquor? At present, only suggestions have been sought and no discussion has been held on the new liquor policy yet. This is not the time to give suggestions, but to work keeping in mind the interests of all sections.

In fact, Babulal Marandi had said in his letter to the CM that the Jharkhand government is planning to implement a new liquor policy. He also said that even before this, liquor policy has been implemented twice in the state. But these policies have not benefited much in the interest of the state. The state government should obtain opinion from the concerned departments and gram sabhas before making a new liquor policy. He especially talked about taking care of the interests of rural tribal women and suggested that they should be helped to live a respectable life.